Cottager’s Journal
Watabeag-Wildgoose Community Cottager’s Association
Spring 2009 NewsletterPage 1 of 2
Website update:The new WWCCA.ca website is now being used to respond to general information requests by the membership. If you sent a comment or question in during the last membership renewal, answers/details are now available on the website (. People who had made information requests last year and who provided an email address were sent notification of these responses when they were posted. Therefore if you do have any questions or comments, please reference the website in the future as this will be updated as new items are received.
Discussions were held at the spring and fall executive meetings regarding new cottagers at the lakes. If you are aware of any new cottagers, please let them know about the website and that they can connect with the executive via the website “contact us” page so we can provide them a membership form and they can read about what is going on at Watabeag and Wildgoose Lakes.
Cottage Watch update:According to Eric Vehkalahti, a WWCCA Director who coordinates this effort with the OPP, there have been no incidents reported over the past year. In order to share information so that other cottagers are made of aware of any issues or concerns that come up, cottagers are encouraged to communicate any issues through the WWCCA website contact information, or directly to Eric at 705-273-2719 or . Eric can also provide any further details or information you may require on this program or if you would like to volunteer your time to be a road captain, if you are at the lakes for most of the summer season.
Dam and Water Levels update: Based on a reports made by Dennis Draves, a member of the Standing Advisory committee for the Abitibi River System Water Management Plan, the MNR continues to operate the dam at Watabeag Lake. A trout spawning study is also underway at Watabeag Lake (over the past two years) with little success. A request has now been made by the local MNR for any information related to trout spawning locations at the lake, so that they may obtain better results in future efforts. Please feel free to notify the cottagers association executive via the website or contact the MNR (Kirkland Lake office) directly. As per last year’s newsletter, if you have any issues or concerns with water levels please contact John Reinhardt, 705-568-3230.
McEvay Landfill update:The agreement with the MNR for use of this landfill has been recently renewed for five years. Many thanks to David Misner for taking care of the WWCCA’s interests in this landfill. Due to last year’s large deposit of tires at the landfill (over 200 tires), the agreement now reflects that tires will no longer be accepted at the landfill and the existing pile will be removed shortly in cooperation with the MNR as well as the signs being updated. Please notify Sue Rapin or David Misener (via the website) of any incidents that you observed of inappropriate use of the landfill. As mentioned in last year’s newsletter, recycling bins have been provided at the landfill for aluminium pop cans as well as beer store and LCBO empties. To further continue our efforts to divert waste from the landfill, which will help extend the life of this landfill, the WWCCA executive would also like to encourage cottagers to recycle their plastic bottles by taking them home or by reducing the use of these bottles when possible. It has been determined that a spring clean-up for this year is not required as the landfill was in great condition at the end of last year. Lets all work together to keep it that way!
Road Kilometer Markers update: You will notice in the near future that the road kilometre markers will be updated along with a few new signs. Many thanks to Eric Vehkalahti for working with the MNR as well as the various suppliers to move this initiative forward. Road markers will be updated for the Watabeag Lake Road in both directions as well as a couple directional signs. As of the March WWCCA executive meeting, posts and signs were ready and a work party was to be assembled to get these signs and markers up for the coming season.
Environmental and Water Quality update: Contact has been made with the local Ministry of the Environment (MOE) regarding past water sampling at both Watabeag and Wildgoose Lakes. Based on the response from the MOE, and a review of the water sample results, the quality of lake water at both lakes appears to be fine (through a review of information available on the MOE website on how to interpret results). These results are available on the MOE website under their Lake Partner program ( for all to review. The local MOE has encouraged the WWCCA to participate in the Lake Partner program and several WWCCA executives have already signed up to do some phosphorous sampling in May (right after ice off) as well as through the summer for clarity measurements. Currently all four sampling locations on Wildgoose Lake will be done by Eric Vehkalahti and sample locations 1 and 3 on Watabeag will be taken care of by other executive members as well. A sample location map can be provided to interested cottagers if they would like to volunteer for sampling in the future. Please contact Sue Rapin (via the website “contact us” page) to find out how to sign up for the program and so that we can keep track of who is doing what sampling. Results will be posted on the Lake Partner program website by the MOE if you are interested in our lake water quality.
Sunset, burn area
Fisheries and Wildlife Update: Communications have been received by the association on options being reviewed by the MNR based on a 2000-2005 trout study. With input from the Fisheries Management Zone 10 Advisory Council, the Ministry of Natural Resources has now prepared operational objectives and proposed management strategies to guide the landscape management of lake trout within FMZ 10 – if interested more information is available on Please note that there is a link at the bottom of this page that you can fill out and submit your comments which were due at the end of April, however the comment sheet is still available so why not give it a try!
Recently the MNR raised an issue about stocking lakes in and around Watabeag and Wildgoose Lakes and how they would like to hear back about these lakes to see if they should keep doing the stocking efforts. Local “put and take” lakes identified as Briere #30, Jessup, Cootie, Grey, Beaver, and Sunny. Please feel free to communicate directly to the MNR (Kirkland Lake Office) or through the WWCCA via the “Contact Us” page on the website or at the annual meeting in July.
Changes to the WWCCA Executive: You may notice at the end of this newsletter that there have been several changes to the association executive over the past year. Many thanks to David and Judy Misener for their many years of active participation on the association and for continuing to help out. David is continuing on as a director.
Note from the new President: Hi, my name is Sue Rapin, my husband Mario Lacasse and I purchased a cottage on the north end of the lake in mid 2005 (#282) and I have been a WWCCA director since my first cottage association meeting I attended in summer 2006. I was voted in as vice president in 2007 and starting working on the website in early 2008. My husband has also joined as a director just this past fall when I took over as association president from David Misener. Please feel free to stop by for a visit through the summer. Or even better, please plan to attend the annual meeting in July!
Playing with Loons, North end Watabeag Lake
General
- The dock has now been installed by WWCCA executive in preparation of the long weekend in May. The dump is also open.
- A new propane supplier is available to the area: Grants Propane. Timmins: 705-288-2101 or New Liskeard: 1-800-563-8794.
- Winter Road Condition Notification – a review is ongoing to see if the association can provide something on the website where winter road conditions can be updated for all to see.
- New Look for the Newsletter – comments and assistance would be very welcome on the newsletter in the future! Please come to the annual meeting and put your name forward.
- The WWCCA executive is actively looking for new members, as several positions are now open. Time commitments include a fall and spring executive meeting and action items assigned from these meetings.
- If you have any photos for the website photo gallery, make sure to send them along () and make sure to include a description of the photo.
- Congratulations to Michael Evelegh, who won the Grand Prize in the 2008 Cottage Life Photo Contest. View his beautiful winning entry at:
The 2009 annual meeting will be held on SUNDAY July 12 at 10 a.m. at the Draves, Cottage #371. All association members and new cottagers to the lakes are welcome.
WWCCA executive:
President: Sue Rapin
Vice President: open
Treasurer: Dennis Draves
Secretary: open
Directors: Donna Poore, Henry Morris, Eric Vehkalahti, Mario Lacasse, David Misener
Matheson ON Tel# 705-273-2719
Cost of test, license and proctoring $40.00
*if you have a business that cottagers might be interested in, please let us know and we can provide details and contact information in our future newsletters.